Movable stairway.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

H. RUSSEL.

MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.16, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I iI'I I I III A I l l I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I l I PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

H. RUSSEL.

MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

APPLIGATIO N FILED FEB,15.1902.

,3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 UNITE arana sine.

MOVABLE Specification of Letters Patent.

srarnwav.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed February 15, 1902. Serial No. 94.183.

merits in movable stairways of that c ass in which a series of steps connected in the form of an endless belt is employed and designed .to carry passengers from one elevation to another.

' One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide an improved means for con nectingthe several steps through the incdium of links so arranged that the axes of said links will always coincide with the line of strain and that the horizontal distance from the face of the riser of one step to the face of the riser of the next step will always remain the same whether the steps be moving on the level or at an angle.

A further object is to provide lll'lPlOVBfl forms of landings leading to and from the steps at the different elevations, with means for movingthe upper surface of each landing inthe same direction as the moving stairs, and at a rate of speed gradually decreasing as the distance from the stairway increases.

A further object resides in the provision of aconstruction whereby tracks or channels supporting the bearing wheels of the steps are set parallel, converging, and diverging,

', and so arranged that the steps may grad ually pass from the level to any pitch desired and again to the level, and so curved as to bring every portion of the top of the tread the same distance from that portion of the movable landing which is nearest to the moving stairway, as the steps pass under the some.

portion of the nxovn'oh slain-in also showing a section through lhrmovable landing" lcmhng there-lo, and lurthermore showing a fragment of the movable hand rail; Fig. 3 is a view showing a fragment of the movable hand rail on an enlarged scale, and showing one of the pulleys around which said hand rail passes. Fig. 4 is a view of the periphery of one of the iullcys around which the movable hand rail extends. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the steps. Fig. 6 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 66 of Fig. 2. .Fig. 7 is a section through the line 7-7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a plan view of one form of movable landing, the intermediate strips 69 being omitted. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modified form of movable landing. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of still another modi- "lied form of movable landing.

cross section on the line 13-13 of Fi 12. Fig. 1-1 is a section on the line 14-14 of Fig. 15, Fig. 15 is a plan of the hinge connection between the several slats forming the end less belt of the F ig. 12 form of construction, Fig. 16 is a detail showing means for preventing backward rotation of .roller 98; and Fig .17 is a view of the movable landing of the Figs. 8 to 11 form of construction, show in the filling blocks 71.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 16 indicates a shaft, and 17 another shaftdriven therefrom in any desirable manner, preferably by means of a sprocket chain 18 passing around a sprocket wheel 19 onthe shaft 16, and around a similar wheel 20 on the shaft 17. Mounted fast on opposite ends of the shaft 16 are wheels 21, 21 the periphery of each wheel having arranged thereaiound, at emu-distances apart, notched or recessed projections 22, the portions of the periphery between said projections being preferably curvrd inwardly.

The stairway consists of a series of steps, pivotally connected together to form an endless belt. Each step comprises the end frames 22), preferably of substantially tri- .-mgular form, and each of these frames is provided ith an opening 24, the rear bordering edge 25 of said opening being on a line inclined lo the vcrlicul, and perferably .--:omo\vlmt vmud. The front of each step between the end frames thm'col' may be vovrred by a solid front piece 2,6, and the top of l'llv slop may also be covered by a solid pit-cc of tread, although I prefer that such pieces 27, with spaces 28 between thoop- Fig. 13 is a posed edges thereof, for purpose hereinafter tcbo'reierred to. At the rear and 11pper portion'of each step is mounted a transvers'e shaft 2-9, and on this shaft are mounted Wheels 30, 3%, the ends of the shaft projecting" slightly beyond, said wheels. At the front and lower portion of each step is mounted anothertransvers'e shaft 3l and on a longitudinal slot 34. Through the slots.

- so formed the extended ends of the shaft 29 pass, the wheels '30 being disposed between the horizontal portions of said angle irons. The wheels 32,- 32 are also adapted to travel on an endless track-way, and each rail of. this track-way preferably consists of an angle iron 35 between the horizontal por- ,tions of which each wheel 32 is disposed.

An intermediate shaft 36 has its opposite ends passing into the openings 24, and said ends carry thereon antifriction rollers 37, 37,v

which are adapted to bear against the rear edges 25 of the openings 24. Links 38 are loosely mounted on the shaft 36 of each step, and the opposite end of each ofsaid links is loosely mounted on the shaft 29 By this arrangement the axis of each link Wlll always co-incide with the line of strain, and that the horizontal distance from the face of the riser of one step to the face of the riser of the next step will always remain the same whether the steps be moving on the level or at any pitch. Also mountednn the shaft 36 are wheels 40, 40 which trayel on the upper'track-way formed by' thc'iails 33.

At the upper landing .or story there is a shaft 41, and on this shaft are wheels 42 j 42 similar in all respects to the wheels 21, 21 on the shaft 16 of the lower landing or story,

that is to say, each wheel 42 is provided with peripheral notched or recessed projections 43, with the portions of the peripheries of the wheels between said projections preferably curved inwardly. The notches or recesses of the projections 43 are adapted to be engaged by the extended ends of the shafts 29, in the same manner that the notches or peripheries of the projections 22 of the wheels 21 are adapted to be engaged. by said shafts. The steps linked together in the form of an endless belt pass around the wheels 21. of the lower landing, and also around the wheels 42 of the u per landing, and the several rails oi the trac -ways also curve aroun d at the landing so as to be endless in form. The driving power is preferably connected up to the sh aft- 41, although of course it could be arranged to positively rotate the shaft 16, or both. shafts sa s-a desirable .-means. improved stairway I also employ ane'ndless movable hand rail, composed of anendless flexible belt 44. At the lower landing this belt passes around a pulley 45 mounted on.

the driven shaft 17, and then extends upwafrdly and around an idle pulley 46 above the landing, said pulley being mounted on a shaft 47. Pulleys similar to pulleys 45 & 46 are of course provided at the upper story or elevation. Secured at desired distances apart to the flexible belt44 are plates' 48.

16 & 41 could bepositively rotated by any In connection with my Each plate has projecting therefrom parallel arms 49, 49 forming bearings'for a transverse pin 50. The opposite ends of each of these pins project laterally beyond the arms 49, and on said projectin ends are ncunted the furcate extremities o a handle 51, the said handle'being formed at one end of a curved bar 52., The opposite end of each curved bar-is provided with an elongated slot 53,

and through this slot extends the pin 50.

From the under side of the endless belt 44v project rigid dogs 54, which dogs are adapted to engage with recesses 55 in the peripheries of the several pulleys 45 & 46.

A sheathing or casing for the movable hand rail is preferably employed, and this sheathing not only serves as a protection to the hand rail, but also serves as a means for holding the handles 51 rigid, so that a person may grasp the same and thereby secure a firm or. unyielding hold. This sheathing consists pf two similar half sections 56, 56, the

under portions thereof extending beneath the endless'fiexible belt 44, and the opposed edges of said under portions being separated to form a longitudinal slot 57, said slot being so located as to permit thedogs 54 to extend therethrough and engage the recesses 55 of the pulleys 45 & 46. The two sections of the sheathing are held together by means. of plates 58 arranged at intervals apart beneath'said sheathing and secured to the respective sections thereof. The sections of the sheathing are extended upwardly adjacent to but not in contact with the side edges of the endless belt 44, and thence curve inwardly over and adjacent to but not in contact with the upper side of the endless belt. By this construction of sheathing it will be seen that, in the passage of the hand rail through the sheathing, the endless belt of the rail can only move to the slightest extent latorally in either direction, owing to contact with the sides of the sections of the sheathing, and can also only move to the slightest extent upwardly, owing to contact with the inwardly extending upper'portions .of the sections of said sheathing, and hence the handles 51 are thereby held practically rigid the pulleys 45 & 46 are located, so not to interfere with the passage of the hand rail around the pulleys. The endless hand rail is caused to travel by reason of the engage mentof the peripheral recesses of the pulley 45 which is mounted on the driven shaft 17 l l with the dogs 54. i

In the operation of my invention as, thus far ex lain'cd, rotation is given to the drive shaft y any desired means. Said rothiion is of course transferred to the driven shafts 17. The rotation of the drive shaft causes the wheels 42 to be rotated, and said wheels are thus rotated the notches br recesses of the projections 43 thereof and also the notches or recesses of the projections 22 of the wheels 21 engage the transverse shafts 29.0f the successive steps, and consequently the endless stairway is caused to travc.

The rotation of the, driven shafts 17 caus s the hand rail to travel, the conne tion being such that said stairway and hand rail move at the same or substantially the same speed.

A person steps on to one of the steps from the landing, and of course is carried by the moving stairway up to the upper landing. The tracks or channels supporting the bearing wheels of the stairway are set parallel and converging and diverging, and are so -arranged that the steps may gradually pass from the level to any pitch desired, and again to the level. The steps are also so connected that they will preserve their horizontality, even after they pass off level portions of the tr'ackon to inclined portions thereof, and this by reason of the fact. that the anti-frictionrollers 37 bear against the rear borderingedges 25 of the openings 24 of the end pieces of the stops, whcrebv the front of said steps are permitted to have an up and down movement, with the front cdgcs of the openings 24 Working against the rollers 25. 'llhe be moving on the level or at any angle.

axes of the links 38 will therefore always (one cide with the line of strain, and thc liorizontal distance from the face of the riser of onestcp to the face of the riser of the next step will always remain the same, whether the steps This is. an important feature, inasmuch as there by the width of a stepis never narrowed, and consequently the entire width of the upper surface oi each step is alway: capable of beinfiutilized by a person standing thereon.

v t will be understood of course that two or more moving stairways such as described 3 may be employed, one or more ascending,

and an equal number descending, and that the axles of the wheels are so geared or othcr-- wise connected that the load on thc dcsccndingseries will help lift the load on the as cending series.

My n'ivcntion furthermore contemplates theprovision of a landing or approach loading to the moving stairway, and a similar landing leading from said stairway, each landing adapted to movc in the same direction as the moving stairs, at or near the same rate of speed as that of said stairs at points where the stairs connect with the landings, thc speed. however, gradually dec easing as the distance of the landing from the stairs increases. Referring" to this mechanism, Figs. 1, 8 & 1) indicate one form thereof. in these iigurcs the numerals 5h, 58 indicate two outer side strips which form bearings for the axes of transverse rollers 59. These rollers arc' of varying size, the one of the smallest diameter being at the point where the landing meets the stairway, and. the succeeding rollers gradually increasing in diameter in a direction outwardly from the airway It will be understood that positive rotation imparted to one of the rollers by any desired means, as for instance, by a suitable connection from the drive shaft to the axis of one of the rollers, as by means of a sprocket chain 59 passing around a sprocket wheel on the drive shaft and around a similar wheel on the axis of the positively driven roller. From this positively driven roller the rotation is transferred to all the other several rollers of the landing, and this rotation is such that the rollers will be turned at a more or less graduallydecreasing rate of speed as the distance from the stairs increases. This may be accomplished in a variety of different ways, and in Figs. 8 l: 9 I show one means for accomplishing the same, consisting of a system of sprocket chains and of sprockets of varying size, so as to gii e the. rollers a more or less gradually decreasing rate of speed as the distance from the stairs in creases. The rollers I divide up into differ ent groups or series, and rotate the initial roller of one series by a sprocket chain conncction with the terminal rollcr of the preceding sorics, while the alternating intermediate rollers between the initial and terminal rollers are rotated by the sprocket chains on cpposite sides, the chain on one side engagion sprocket wheels on the extended journals 7 on that side. Referring specifically to this inechanism, and beginning, with the rollers of the first group at the left hand of Fig. 8, the sprocket chains which actuate these rollcrs are indicated by the numerals (it), 60. The chain (it) engages a sprocket wheel (31 on an alternation inlermcdiatc rollcr on that sidc, and thence passes liually around a sprocket Wheel 4313. 'lhc sprocket chain (30 engages a sprockcl whccl similar to (31 on the cxtcudcd journal of every nllcrmiiiug roller on the other side. and liually around a sprockct wheel similar to (2, but on the c).- tcudod journal of the roller one step farther removed. The next chain lib extends around the intermediate sprocket wheels'on. that side max a small sprocket wheel 64 on the axis of the roller on which the sprocket wheel 62 is lo cated, and thence engages alternating inter mediate sprocket wheels 65, 65, and finally passes around a sprocket wheel 65 on the next succeeding alternate roller. The corresponding sprocket chain 63 on the other side engages sprocket wheels similar to 65 and 65 on the axes of alternating rollers on that side, and finally passes around a sprocket wheel similar to 65 but on the extended journal of a roller one step removed from the roller on the axis of which the sprocket wheel 65 is located. The next succeeding chain 66 on one side asses around a small sprocket wheel 67 on the axis of the roller carrying the sprocket wheel 65', and thence engages intermediate sprocket wheels 68, 68, and finally passes around a sprocket wheel on the extended end of the journal of the next succeeding alternating roller (not shown); and the. similar chain 66 on the opposite side passes around a sprocket wheel similar to 67 on the extended journal of the roller one step removed from the journal of the roller. carrying the sprocket wheel 67, and thence engages corresponding to bit alternating with the sprocket wheels 68, 68 on the o posite side, and finally passes around a sproc et wheel of the next succeeding alternating roller (not shown). It .will be not-iced that in each group of rollers on each side the sprocket wheel which a chain initially engages is the smallest in diameter, and the diameter increases progressively with the next succeeding wheels, the terminal wheel which a chain passes around being the largest in diameter. A'person stepping on to the moving landing or approach will move along on the slowly rotating rollers, and the speed of rotation will gradually increase towards the stairway, the final roller rotating at a speed substantially equal to the speed of movement of the stairway, and a person upon leaving the stairway will pass ,on to a roller which is revolving at a ate of speed substantially equal to the speed ofthe moving stairway, and as he steps along the speed of rotation of the succeeding rollers gradually decreases the farther away the person gets from the stairway, so that the final roller. located at the terminus. of the movable landing will be rotating at a minimum rate of speed, so that the person can readily step 06' on to the stationary landing without danger of accident.

I prefer to provide intermediateof the outer side bars 5% ol the movable landing, l slats 69, said slats being set edgewise, and-being supported by bars or brackets (not shown). These slats are provided in their upper edges with recesses 70 in which the rollers arev seated. The under edges oi the slats are beveled towards the stairway, as

clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that said stairway l areas? can readily pass therebeneath, the said beveled under edges passing into the slots 28 in the top ol" each step as a step passes beneath the moving landing. The rollers 59 are made of gradually decreasing diameter near the stairway so as to permit the stairway to readily pass around and. beneath the'landing. The upper edges of these slats 69 form a means for supporting transverse blocks 71, (see 17), ,which blocks substantially fill the spaces between the rollers, and hence act as filling blocks to prevent apersons toe from entering the space which would otherwise be left between two of the rollers. It will be understood that, in practice, in. order to secure the proper reduction of speed of the movable landing, more than two of the intermediate sprocket wheels will be employed, two only being shown merely to illustrate the principle.

Figs. 10 & 11 illustrate another form of moving landing in which the rollers are turned by gear wheels of varying size and number of-cogs so as to give a gradually (la-- the distance from creasing rate of speed as In this form each the stairway increases.

sprocket chain on each side initially passes wheel on'the ax1s ofv around a large sprocket the terminal roller of one group, and is then extended to and around a smaller s rocket wheel on the initial driving roller of t e next group. One of these chains is indicated by .the numerals 72, the large sprocket wheel around which it passes by the numeral73,

and the small sprocket wheel around which it passes by the numeral 7 4. Another. chain is indicated 'by the numeral 75, and this passes around a large sprocket wheel 76 on the axis of wheel 74, and said chain is then continued and operates in exactly the same manner as the chain 72. Between the axes of the shafts carrying the sprocket wheels and on the axes of the intermediate rollers are a series of cog wheels, indicated by the numeral 77, and which wheelsare mounted on the axis of the rollers, and ghe'low these cog wheels 77, and mounted on short shafts 78, are idle wheels, two of said wheelsbeing placed on each shaft. V One of these cog wheels of a set, indicated by the numeral .79, is preferably provided with five cogs, and the other, indicated by the numeral 80, preferably with six cogs. The arrangement of these cogs on their shafts alternates, that is to say, on one shaft, the wheel having five .cogs will be outermost, and the wheel having six cogs will be innermost, while in the case of the next succeeding shaft,the wheel having six cogs will be outermost, and the one hay;-

ing five cogs will be innermost, and so on throughout the series. The shafts of the sprocket wheels 73 u 7 cog wheels mounted thereon corresponding to the cog wheels 77. If we, therefore, start with the first lullline upper cog wheel which 4 will of course have.

idle cog wheel 79 below, and the cog wheel 80 on the same shaft gears with the next sucseeding upper cog wheel 77, while said latter upper, cog Wheel gears with the outermost six toothed cog wheel below, and the innermost five toothed cog wheel on. the same shaftgears with the next succeeding upper cogiwheel 77, and so on throughout the se,- ries. By this arrangement it will be seen that a gradually reduced speed of therollers from the stairway is secured. In this form ofcourse one of the rollers must be positively driven by any suitable means, as in the case oi the Figs. 8 & 9 form of construction.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the upper surface of the step of the stairway convex. By this arrangement the toe of a persons foot on pissing from the moving stairway onto the st small rollers of the movable landing, or ylceversa, on passing from the movable land- IIigOIIlJO the stairway is so raised as to pass over the first small roller.

In Figs. 12 to 16 another form of movable landing in which the rate of speed is gradually reduced in a direction from the moving stairway is rovided. This consists in forming the lan ing of a number of sections, each section consisting of an endless belt comprisin a series of strips hinged together, with re ler bearings and openings for the sprockets, and so arranged that each belt moves at .a less s eed than the adjoining one, as the distance'. om the moving stairway increases. Referring to these figures, the numeralsBi, 81 & 81 indicate the several endless belts.

struction relating to one will be explained. Suitable beams 82 are provided, and on these beams are supported rails 83 (three of such rails being shown), and over which the endless belt passiis. J ournaled at opposite ends of the rails are guide rollers 84, 84 around which the belt passes. Each belt, as stated, is made up of aseries of slats, and these slats are hinged together. i show in Fig, 15 the preferred form of hinge,- which consists in providing upon the under side of each slat a series of plates 85. One edge of each plate provided with recesses 86, S6 and an in termediate recess 87. The opposite edge of each plate is provided with. projecting tongues 88, 88 and an intermediate recess so which registers with the intermediate recess 8'7 oi the adjacent edge of the plate of the' next slat. In each recess 89 is a roller 90, the axis of said roller being the hinge pin {)1 which passes through the tongues 88, 88, said tongues fitting in the recesses 86, 86 of the plate at the adjacent edge of the adjoining slat. The adjacent edge of the slats are provided with a number of these hinges corresponding to the number oi rails 83, three being shown in the present illustration of my invention, and the rollers 90 are so located that as the belt travels around, said rollers will ride on the rails. bearings formed by frame pieces 92, 92 are shafts 93, 93. One of these shafts of the se ries of belts is positively driven in the same manner as in the preceding constructions of iovable landings. On shaft 93, near opp'osite ends thereoi, are toothed wheels 94, 94, which are so located that the teeth thereon, when the wheels revolve, engage with the intermediate recesses 87, and hence cause'the belts to travel. Motion is transferred from one belt to another in a manner to cause a gradual decreasing rate of speed as the distance from the stairway increases, by means of two sprocket wheels on'each shaft, indicated respectively by the numerals 95 &- 96, the sproc 'et wheel 95 being larger than the wheel 96. A sprocket chain 97 asses around evident that a gradually decreasing rate of speed as the distance from the stairway increases is secured.

In order to prevent a persons toe frorn' passing into the space between the belts, I provide small rollers 98, which fill up said spaces to such an extent as to preclude thepossibility of this occurring. It is desirable that these small rollers should rotate only in the direction in which the belt is moving, and in order to secure this I provide a pivoted spring pressed pawl 99 which engages a ratchet wheel 100 on the axis of the roller 98 in such manner as to prevent backward rotation of said roller.

The steps of the movable stairway may be oi such size that when the stairway is not moving, said steps may be available for use as a stationary stairway.

. N hat 1 claim as my invention is;

i. In a movable st air-way, the combination of landings, a series of st ,1 s, extending from one landing to another, links pivoted to one step oi the series and having their opposite ends loosely connected to the next step in advance to permit an ii'nlependent up and down movement of each step, whereby the horizontal distance from the lace of the riser of one stop to the face of the riser oi the next step will always remain the same whether the stop be moving: on the level or at an angle, and means for driving the endless stairway.

2. in a movable stairway, the combination of upper and lower tracks extending from one landing to another, and so spaced apart as to set parallel, converging, and diverging, a series of steps, the end pieces thereof provided with openings, roller bearings carried by each step, said roller-bearings adapted to engage the respective tracks, guide rollers carried by Journalcd in suitable each step and adapted to bear against the front bordering edge ot the end open ngs of the steps, a series of links each link extending from the axis of the guide rollers of each step and pivoted to the next step to the rear,

- whereby the series of steps are connected together in the form of an endless stairway,-

and means for actuatingythe endless-stairy In a movable stairway, the combination of upper and lower tracks extending from one landing to another and so spaced apart as to'set parallel, converging, and diverging,

' a series of steps, the end pieces thereof pro-f vided with openings, roller bearings carried at the upper rear portion of each step. and engaging the upper track, roller bearings carried' at the lower front portion of eaclrstep and engaging-the lower track, guide rollers '20 carried by each step and adapted to bear to another and around said wheels,

against the front bordering edge of the end openings of the step, other rollers carried on the axes of the guide rollers, said other rollers engaging the upper'track, a series of links,

25 each link extending from the axis of the guide rollers of eachstep and pivoted to the next step to the rear, whereby the series of steps are connected together in the form of an endless stairway, and means for actuating 3,0 the endless stairway.

4G recesses of the wheels, handles projecting from the outer sideol the endless rail, and means for positively driving one of the wheels.

5. The combination of a movable stairway extendin l rom one -landin or roach to another, an endless hand rail extending from one landing or approach to another, and in convenient position to be reached by a person standing on the stairway, a series of plates secured to the outer face of the endless hand rail, each plate provided with projecting arms, a pin journaled in aid. arms, a series or bars each provided at one end with a projecting handle, and having a depending portion or portions mounted on the pin, and said bar also having at its opposite end a slot or opening 'through which the pin of the nex succeeding plate passes, a sheathing or casing for the hand rail, said sheathing or casing having its ends adjacent to the edges of the hand rail, and having its upper portion bent over the hand rail 1n close proximity thereto, and means for actuating the endless hand rail,

.135 6. In combination with an endless'mow eraser able carrier, a movable landing or approach to which the carrier leads, and means for moving the upper surface of the landing or approach in the same direction as the moving carrier, and at'a rate of speed gradually decreasing as' the distance from the carrier increases.- I

7. In combination with an endless movable carrier, a movable landing or approach to which the carrier leads, said landing crapproach consisting of a series of rollers, and

means for rotating said rollers in the same direction as the moving carrier and at a rate of speed gradually decreasing as the distance from the carrier increases. c

8. In combination with an endless movable carrier, a movable landing or approach to which the carrier leads, said landing or approach consisting of a series of rollers, some of said rollers extending over the movable carrier at the point of turning of said carrier, so that the carrier may pass therebeneath, and a plurality of said rollers from the carrier outwardly being of gradually decreasing diameter, and means for rotating the series of rollers in the same direction as the moving carrier.

9. In combination with an endless mov able carrier, a movable landing or approach to which the carrier leads, said landing or approach consisting of a series of rollers, bear lugs for the axes of said rollers, a series of strips parallel with the bearings and intermediate thereof, the upper edges of said strips provided with. recesses in which the rollers are seated, filling blocks interposed between the rollers and supported bysaid strips, and means for rotating the rollers in the same direction as the moving carrier.

10. In combination with an endless movable carrier, a landing or approach to which said carrier leads, said landing or approach consisting of a series ofrollers, sprocket wheels mounted on alternating axes of said rollers, a chain for one grou or set of sprocket'wheels on one side, s'ai chain passing around two of said sprocket wheels which are a distance apart and engaging the sprocket wheels intermediate thereof, and the opposite chain for the other grouper set of sprocket wheels upon the opposite side passing around two of said wheels and engaging the wheels intermediate thereof, the said sprocket wheels so connected and engaged by a chain being of gradually increasing diameter, and means for positively driving one of the rollers.

11. In combination with an endless movable carrier, of a landlng or approach to which the carrier leads, said landing or, a preach consisting or a series ofrntatable re 1- ers, and means for rotating sa d rollers 1n the same direction as and independently of the moving carrier.

12. An approach to fa constantly-moving:

carrier, including a plurality of forwardlyl tionary floor or platform, having a movemovmg units, constructed and operating 111 ment toward the main carrier hut slower such a manner as to effect the transfer of passengers or freight from one to another.

. such a mariner as to effect the acceleration of passengers or freight while being transferred from one to another.

14. An approach to a constantly-moving conveyer, including a plurality of forwardlyinoving units, constructed and operating in such a manner as to effect the transfer of 7 passengers or freight to the main carrier after accelerating the movement of said passengers or freight.

15! An approach to a moving carrier, including a plurality of units having differing rapidities of forward movement, constructed 3 and 0 eratmg in such manner as to effect the trans er of passengers or freight to the main said means second mentioned, said means carrier.

l6.- An approach to a moving carrier, including a plurality of units having axes substantially at right angles to the line of movement of the main conveyor, constructed and operating in such manner as to effect the acceleration of passengers or freight resting thereon.

17. An approach to a constantlv-moving carrier, including a plurality of forwardlymoving units having ditfering speeds of. movement, constructed and operating in such manner that a passenger-"s foot nor-.

mally rests upon a plurality of said units, differcnt ones of the units upon \vlnch such foot.- rests having differing lorrvard speeds.

18. An approach to a constantlv-moving carrier, including, ((1.) means near to a stationary floor or platform; on which means a 4 l'msst'ngei or freight may rest, said means having a movement toward the main carrier hut slower than said carrier; (/1) means near said main carrier moving in the same. direction and having movement of substantially the same speed as the main carrier: and (0) means for automatically :u-eelerating the speed of said passenger or freight in passing l et\\'een said means first mentioned and near the main carrier heing constructed and operating to autmnatieallv transfer said passenger or freight to said main carrier.

.20. .\n approach to a eonslantlv-moving carrier. having a tread or surface composed of a plurality of disks. wheels or cylinders having axes suhstantialh at right angles to the line of forward movement of the moving tarrier. said disks. wheels or cvlinders having differing rapidities of peripheral movement.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature, in presence of two witn sses. 

